The effect of age on mitogen responsive T cell precursors in human beings is completely restored by interleukin-2.
Abstract It is well known that the function of T lymphocytes is significantly impaired by advancing age. In the present study, attempts have been made to further characterize the T cell impairment of elderly subjects. Thus, we have performed limiting dilution microculture analysis to evaluate the precursor frequency of T lymphocytes responding to a mitogenic stimulus in old and young subjects. Furthermore we have evaluated the activity of recombinant interleukin-2 (rIL-2) on these cells. The results demonstrate that in older subjects the frequency of these precursors is significantly decreased. The in vitro treatment with rIL-2 increased the frequency of mitogen responsive T lymphocyte prec…
Intranasal midazolam for treating acute respiratory crises in a woman with stiff person syndrome.
Stiff person syndrome (SPS) is a rare neurologic disorder characterized by progressively worsening rigidity and spasms of the axial and limb muscles. Dyspnea has been recently recognized as a common symptom in SPS,1 and life-threatening respiratory crises have been occasionally reported and suspected to be responsible for sudden death in these patients.2,3 The pathophysiologic mechanisms of these respiratory manifestations remain unclear. Some authors have hypothesized that rigidity and/or spasm of the muscles of the trunk could prevent normal rib cage movements and excursion of the diaphragm.1
Early and rapidly progressing respiratory failure in a patient with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: when FVC% is misleading
Introduction Respiratory failure is the leading cause of death in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) [1]. The involvement of respiratory function is a negative predictor of survival, which can be in part overcome by a prompt initiation of non-invasive mechanical ventilation (NIV). Seated forced vital capacity (FVC%) is a widely used measure to monitor respiratory function, and it is often taken as a surrogate outcome measure in clinical trials. However, it may be within a normal range in ALS patients with respiratory dysfunction [2]. Here we report on a case of an ALS patient with a rapidly evolving respiratory insufficiency, despite a rather normal FVC%. Case presentation The patient, a 6…
Importance of Sniff Nasal Pressure (SNIP) as predictor of nocturnal respiratory function in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
Background: In ALS, respiratory disturbances during sleep have an important role in the natural history of the disease. Diurnal and nocturnal blood gases are weakly correlated, but nocturnal respiratory disorders are difficult to predict. Aim: To evaluate if SNIP, an important parameter reflecting respiratory muscle strength, is related to nocturnal respiratory disorders and whether it contributes to predict nocturnal blood gas alterations in addition to daytime blood gas levels in ALS. Methods: Forty patients with ALS, after a daytime respiratory function evaluation, including arterial blood gases and SNIP, underwent a polysomnography with transcutaneous capnography (tcPCO2). The patients …
Lack of Dystrophin Affects Bronchial Epithelium inmdxMice
Mild exercise training may positively affect the course of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). Training causes mild bronchial epithelial injury in both humans and mice, but no study assessed the effects of exercise in mdx mice, a well known model of DMD. The airway epithelium was examined in mdx (C57BL/10ScSn-Dmdmdx) mice, and in wild type (WT, C57BL/10ScSc) mice either under sedentary conditions (mdx-SD, WT-SD) or during mild exercise training (mdx-EX, WT-EX). At baseline, and after 30 and 45 days of training (5 d/wk for 6 weeks), epithelial morphology and markers of regeneration, apoptosis, and cellular stress were assessed. The number of goblet cells in bronchial epithelium was much lower…